On the 9 or so inches of snow this morning were more juncos than we have
seen since fall. In the past week they had been coming in two's or three's,
6 on rainy Saturday, but today it was closer to 60. I wonder where these
birds were yesterday? Didn't think the winds were such to bring any
migrants north overnight.
Also seen: first Fox Sparrow of spring
2 Common redpolls
20+ Pine siskins
4 Am. Goldfinch
6 Purple finch (had 12 yesterday morning, before snow; first one
seen 4/2)
2 Am. Tree Sparrow
1 male Cardinal. Female who has been here since November has been
here less often lately. Male showed up last week.
2 Eur. Starling (had 18 of these one day last week)
1 Shrike, probably northern, although it zipped off before I got it
in binocs. Some of the juncos obviously inexperienced with shrikes,
although these are almost all adult male juncos. 3 of them stayed in a
little crabapple tree after all other birds beat it into heavy cover, shrike
perched only 20 ft. away. The shrike made a desultory swoop in their
direction, but missed them all as they finally flew away. Later in the day,
I looked out just as all the birds took off, and saw a bird carrying a junco
out of my backyard and behind the garage. Could be the same shrike, but
hard to tell. This is the first shrike seen here since last fall.
3 Gray jay, regulars almost daily for handouts
1 Com. grackle
3 Redwinged blackbirds seen Sunday.
The all-winter tough guys - black-cap. chickadees, lower numbers in
the past week since last month's snow melted, extras off to the north.
Red-breasted nuthatches traveling in pairs, ditto for Downy Woodpeckers,
Hairy Woodpeckers. No other woodpeckers in yard lately, but saw one
Black-backed Woodpecker along Gitchi-gami bike trail in Tofte recently.
White-breasted nuthatches feed here in winter, nest elsewhere, so they have
gone now.
Carol Tveekrem,
Schroeder
